I am running Mainstage on a 20" iMac 2.4 using a PODX3 Live as a soundcard. Generally, I have no problems. However at my last two rehearsals, the sound on Mainstage disappears - typically when I switch patches. MIDI is still being received since I can see the keys moving on the Mainstage keyboard and the VU meters running as well. I have to reboot to get the sound back. This could be a PODX3 issue but I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced the same problem.
I ran into that same issue today and I think I found the solution (at least it totally solved the problem for me).
In my case, it was always one specific patch with 2 EXS24 channel strips causing the problem. Hitting the panic button subsequently brought back the patch's sound.
While that seems like a technical issue within MS, I found that it was a user issue:
The key is the little round "Expression" wheel within each channel strip. In my problem-patch, it was set to 0 for both of the involved channel strips. Setting the expression wheel back to 127 solved the problem.
Now as to why some of you seem to be getting the issue sporadically, my guess is that your hardware controller sends a MIDI message causing the expression to be set to 0 (that's MIDI CC #11 for MainStage). Once MainStage then saves the patch with the 0 expression, it feels like the patch is "broken".
I ran into that same issue today and I think I found the solution (at least it totally solved the problem for me).
In my case, it was always one specific patch with 2 EXS24 channel strips causing the problem. Hitting the panic button subsequently brought back the patch's sound.
While that seems like a technical issue within MS, I found that it was a user issue:
The key is the little round "Expression" wheel within each channel strip. In my problem-patch, it was set to 0 for both of the involved channel strips. Setting the expression wheel back to 127 solved the problem.
Now as to why some of you seem to be getting the issue sporadically, my guess is that your hardware controller sends a MIDI message causing the expression to be set to 0 (that's MIDI CC #11 for MainStage). Once MainStage then saves the patch with the 0 expression, it feels like the patch is "broken".
Thanks for the question. Each time it has happened, I tried switching to the built in output (still no sound). Then I tried exiting Mainstage and restarting the program - still no sound. Then I tried turning off the POD, waiting a minute, and turning it back on - still no sound. Only rebooting seemed to restore the sound.
I'm having the same problem. And it's very random. Another post said to press Panic and this will reset the sound. This did work for awhile, but now, even that seems to not reset the sound. I can only reboot! Did you try using Panic?
Same problem....very random, audio just disappears with no apparent reason (no huge CPU load, no patch change or excess feed of data to the computer, just regular playing), it might come back like nothing happened in a couple of seconds or might just stall and have to restart, not a great perspective for a live performance.
Have to admit that my setups gets pretty complex, 2 controllers, probably 2-3 patches on each keyboard with different splits and layers, however managed to make them work within 75%-80% CPU load.
Running on a MacBook 2GHz, 3GB machine no audio interface for the moment (don't want to make the Xpense until shure this will work, I have a ProTools with 5 Accel cards rig and don't need an extra audio system just laying around), M-Audio Controller and A33 Roland over a Midiman 2x2 midi Interface.
GOOD LORD ... let me just say, "***, Mainstage?"
I mean W. T. F. ??
I just got back from a rehearsal with my band, and this exact thing happened to me. I've only got 7 patches in my concert, none of them real, real complicated. I've got two keyboards, and some drum pads. Most patches are pretty simple: one channel strip for each instrument.
After about an hour, my patches start dropping out (no sound).
Switch patches once ... oh crud, the organ patch won't play anymore. Flip over to the piano ... still works, over to the synths again, cool ... back to the piano, now it's gone. Back to the organ patch, one keyboard plays, the other doesn't and the pads don't play anymore. It was a complete nightmare. I ended up having to kill MainStage and restart it 3 times in one rehersal. Completely killing the vibe.
Sweet baby jesus, I'm glad I wasn't on stage with this tonight!
I'm starting to get a little angry here: $2000 for a new MBP + another $150 for a RAM upgrade, + $500 for logic/mainstage, and ... what?? my patches are randomly losing sound?
W.T.F, Apple?
This is supposed to be a performance instrument right?
How can you expect us to use this stuff on stage?
I had the same problem happen to me. It was working fine on my iMac at home. I'd spent all day running through the patches to make sure that everything worked just the way I wanted them to. No patches were really CPU hungry, (never went above about 30% CPU with ~70% MEM). I'd taken advice and changed all the SpaceDesigner reverbs to platinum reverb etc.
A mate let me use his MacBook at rehearsals and I loaded the concert up and nothing happened. Tried everything I could think of. Checked that all the input/output options were right and that all MIDI messages were being transfered. I could see that MS was getting midi from my keyboard as it was registering the MIDI notes on the visual keyboard and up in the space below the CPU/MEM usage bar.
Restarted MS multiple times, tried different boot up sequences with the MB/M-Audio Firewire1814/Keyboard and still nothing. I gave up and did the rehearsal without MS. At the end I thought I'd have another go, and presto! Everything worked!!!! >=(
BUT
As I was demonstrating how I'd set everything up in MS to the other guys, when various patches started not to work again!
I will try the 'panic' button in future and I have also made sure that the expression dial is not set to '0' so I will do more tests over the next few days and let you know how I go.
I have to say that if this problem can't be fixed then it's not looking good for me relying on this at a gig!
Come on Apple - This shouldn't happen!
its a bit like my problem in the thread 'disappointed... giving up'. Using Mainstage for guitar amp simulation, some patches going quiet when i switch between them.
yea I just posted to that thread "disappointed...giving up" what could have been posted here. Basically, I would love to love MainStage, I really would, but it has to love me back. Too many exceptions, too scary.
I've got exactly similar results: a sudden halt, no sound out with some of the songs, performance meters going bananas. Plus many other quirks, literally dozens of them. Who's done betatesting this product? He/she should be fired, tied and painted green - and thrown eggs at. It's a totally different thing to just do a tiny test run at the office or home than play a good 2-hour gig.
It feels like MainStage is not yet - not even after a year or so - a final product. Instead it's a very, very fragile piece of software waiting to crash or malfunction. I wouldn't trust my gig on that piece of c**p. Apple's attitude can be read between the lines: when was it last updated?
Glad to know that I'm not stupid, crazy or cursed. This same stuff (and a lot of other crazy problems) have been happening to me. And yes, it's happened while I'm on stage. Thankfully it happened at the beginning of our set, not in the middle of it.
I think I'm about to give up as well. Switching to something else is going to be a huge undertaking, as we've been building up a set in mainstage and practicing with it for months.
And yeah ... based on how little Apple has updated this product (and in light of how many problems there are for them to fix) ... I start to wonder if they're just going to discontinue it.
This has happend to me as well. Usually a third party product is involved. the quick fix, although a drag at a gig, is to change the buffer settings on your interface. This restarts the card and sound is restored. So I switch the buffer setting up one, then back.
